May 25, 2015
You are surrounded by an ocean of bacteria. In fact, a host of diverse bacteria make their home inside your intestinal tract. Fortunately, many of these species of bacteria are “friendly”, meaning they provide health benefits to the host. What’s interesting is bacteria take up residence in the human gut very early in life, before a baby even enters the world. In fact, one of the baby’s first encounters with bacteria is when it passes through mom’s birth canal and becomes colonized with bacteria from her reproductive tract. The bacteria a baby is exposed to during passage through the birth.... [Read More...]
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May 18, 2015
Experts agree that a healthy, balanced intestinal microflora leads to a healthy body, better natural defenses, and a happier life – but where did this knowledge come from? Is this the result of modern scientific discoveries? As it turns out, history tells us a lot about the use of fermented foods, rich in probiotics, throughout the ages. Use of probiotics in the western world can be traced back to the days of King Louis IX of France, when William de Rubruquis discovered the Mongols drinking a soured milk product called cosmos, or Koumiss. The Mongols would produce this drink using.... [Read More...]
The post Koumiss, Airag, Horses & Probiotics – What’s the Connection? appeared first on Natren Probiotics Blog.
May 11, 2015
Three out of four women will be affected by their vaginal or urinary health at some point and about 5% will have recurrent problems, experiencing multiple issues each year. Needless to say, these can be frustrating issues for women of all ages – the itching, redness, irritation and discharge. Most of these uncomfortable moments are due to vaginal yeast overgrowth, caused by the yeast Candida albicans. Candida is a yeast that normally lives in the vaginal tract in small numbers in relative harmony with the human body, but it can overgrow in response to imbalances in the vaginal tract. A.... [Read More...]
The post Probiotic Focus: Megadophilus and Feminine Health appeared first on Natren Probiotics Blog.
May 04, 2015
Recently, we have been paying close attention to, and writing about, the actions taken by Eric Schneiderman, the New York State Attorney General in regard to nutritional supplements that were found not to contain the ingredients stated on the labels – read our take on it here, and another similar study here. Unfortunately, the problem is systemic due to under-regulation. The FDA does not regulate supplements (including probiotics) as drugs, so they are not subject to the same level of scrutiny and consumer protection. Sure, there are limits to the health claims that these products can make, but industry oversight.... [Read More...]
The post Are Probiotics Properly Regulated? appeared first on Natren Probiotics Blog.
April 27, 2015
If you’re a pet owner, you understand the joy a companion animal brings to your life. Of course, you want the best for your pets. In many ways, dogs and cats are a lot like us. They suffer from some of the same health issues that humans do, including arthritis, cancer, obesity, and diseases of the heart, digestive tract, liver, and kidneys, and they’re also prone to digestive issues. As any pet owner who’s come home to “surprises” left on the carpet can attest to, dogs and cats can have temperamental digestive tracts. And we’ve all heard stories about the.... [Read More...]
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April 20, 2015
Natren is pleased to announce the latest addition to its Life Start line of infant probiotics. Life Start Vegan is a unique dairy free probiotic powder for infants, toddlers, expectant and nursing mothers containing the vitally important strain of bacteria – Bifidobacterium infantis. Over the years, the health food industry has seen an increased demand for dairy free probiotics for sensitive infants and children. Supplementing with Natren’s Life Start Vegan provides infants with that first line of defense for their tiny, immature gastrointestinal tract, ensuring them with the best start to a long and healthy life. Natren has selected this unique.... [Read More...]
The post Introducing Natren Life Start Vegan Probiotic for Infants and Expectant Mothers appeared first on Natren Probiotics Blog.
April 13, 2015
You eat a healthy diet of mostly whole, unprocessed foods most of the time, exercise and feel pretty good. You pride yourself on making the right decisions about your health and preventing health problems before they happen. Congratulations! You’re off to a great start. Since you’re eating a healthy diet, you may wonder why you should take a probiotic supplement every day. Why would a healthy person like you really need the advantage that gut-friendly bacteria in probiotics offer? Bacteria are Everywhere Even if you eat a healthy diet, you don’t have complete control over the bacteria that enter your.... [Read More...]
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April 07, 2015
It’s not just antibiotics that disrupt the harmony of your intestinal tract, two classes of commonly prescribed drugs: non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) do too. Chances are you’ve taken a NSAID to reduce pain or ease inflammation in the past. These medications are even sold over-the-counter for relief of muscle aches, headaches and for temporary relief of minor sources of pain. PPIs are prescribed for relief of acid reflux and overproduction of stomach acid and to lessen the digestive side effects of NSAID. Once thought to be relatively benign, recent research shows NSAIDs are linked with.... [Read More...]
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March 30, 2015
If there’s one thing that impacts how healthy you are and how you look and feel, it’s the food you eat. Food supplies your body with energy, but it’s not just protein, carbs and fat from your diet, but “micronutrients,” like vitamins and minerals. Vitamins and minerals aren’t just a nice-to-have part of your diet – they’re essential for life. Micronutrients are what help your body carry out chemical reactions you need for mental and physical health. Your body cells do not have the ability to produce vitamins, with the exception of Vitamin D which can be produced by some.... [Read More...]
The post Probiotics & Vitamin Production appeared first on Natren Probiotics Blog.
March 23, 2015
In the world of probiotic supplements, not all are created equal – a fact that sadly requires a lot of consumer education to comprehend. Sometimes product labels aren’t entirely accurate, and in some cases, they are completely false. This is why it is so important to understand the nature of the supplements you are taking, to ensure that they are delivering the goodness that you expect. One of the critical elements of probiotics is survivability – this is the ability for the probiotic bacteria specified on the label to make it alive, not only from the manufacturer to the consumer,.... [Read More...]
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March 10, 2015
At Natren, we have always advocated a natural, holistic lifestyle; encouraging the use of natural products, organic foods and seeking to avoid man-made hazards like GMOs. This month, we are excited to introduce a new formulation of Gy-NaTren for feminine health care. Gy-NaTren is a natural approach to vaginal health for managing yeast overgrowth and restoring balance to the female ecosystem. It is specifically intended for women who wish to avoid traditional chemical-based approaches. The new Gy-NaTren dual-action vaginal health kit includes a 14-day supply of two separate bottles, one with homeopathic vaginal capsules and a second bottle containing oral.... [Read More...]
The post Introducing Natren Gy-NaTren – Dual-Action Homeopathic and Probiotic Preparation for Feminine Health appeared first on Natren Probiotics Blog.
March 02, 2015
One of the first things you notice about happy, healthy people is the glow they all seem to have. That inner light they radiate has a lot to do with how their skin looks and feels. You can get that healthy glow by nourishing your skin from the inside out. After all, your skin is the one part of your wardrobe that is with you every day, all year round. So give your skin the attention it deserves by giving it the nutrition and hydration it needs. With a little attention to your inner health, you can get that glow.... [Read More...]
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February 28, 2015
Hearts are everywhere! The month of February brings a plethora of big red hearts expressing love and crunchy, heart-shaped candies in pastel colors. It’s time to think about loved ones and why they’re special to us. It’s also a perfect time to reflect on the health of your own heart, the organ that beats about 4,800 times per hour, sending life-sustaining blood and oxygen to every part of your body. Now for a reality check. Heart related disorders are the number one cause of death in the United States. They are the leading cause of disability, preventing Americans from working and.... [Read More...]
The post Love Yourself, Love Your Heart appeared first on Natren Probiotics Blog.
February 16, 2015
Many people consider probiotics to be a one-size-fits-all supplement, without really considering the details of what is inside the product. It can be difficult to separate the marketing hype from the real health benefits– with so many products filling the shelves, advertising that they contain the “largest number of strains”, or the “highest number of bacteria units”, and other claims that are made more for shock-and-awe marketing value rather than any meaningful scientific merit. The reality is that we are not all created equal, and therefore our dietary supplements should be chosen to match the needs of the individual. It.... [Read More...]
The post Flexible Probiotics, Customized To Meet Your Individual Needs appeared first on Natren Probiotics Blog.
February 06, 2015
Yesterday, the New York State Attorney General’s office demanded that four leading national retailers remove certain brands of herbal supplements from their shelves, citing that the products did not contain the ingredients on the label, and were made up of cheap and dangerous filler materials. You can read the full article in the New York Times here. This has been a long time coming, and is just the tip of the iceberg. We have been warning the industry and the public about fraud in the supplement industry for years. This is an unregulated market with little in the way of.... [Read More...]
The post Nutritional Supplement Fraud Exposed in New York appeared first on Natren Probiotics Blog.
February 02, 2015
Your heart is one of the most critical parts of your body. It is amongst the first of your organs to start working in your body in-utero, and all-too-often the first organ to stop working. You can’t do without it, yet we take it for granted and don’t take nearly enough care of it. This “American Heart Month”, here are a few simple things you can do to improve your heart health: Reduce Stress Laughter and music have been proven to lower stress hormones – like cortisol – a hormone that contributes to heart disease and weight gain. Something as.... [Read More...]
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